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Data breach baddies beware!

8th March 2017

There’s a new super hero in town – protect your organisations data on the move from big bad fines with SafeToGo®

The wonders and limits of modern technology

Thanks to laptops and tablet computers, mobile phones, the internet, cloud storage and USB drives, the days of being confined to working in an office, 9 to 5, Monday to Friday are a thing of the past. These days working on the train, at the airport, from a coffee shop, or simply from home, is common practice and something most of us take for granted.

Our ability to access important documents and files regardless of our physical location is fundamental to our being able to work remotely and whilst technology allows us to do this with ease, have you considered how reliable and safe your chosen data storage mechanic is?

Getting access to the internet and cloud isn’t always possible, connection speeds can be poor and costs are involved. If you want guaranteed access to your files regardless of connectivity then a USB drive is a good option, but is it safe?

Choosing the right USB drive

Most of us have a stash of USB drives tucked away in a drawer somewhere, freebies we’ve received at events or promotional drives given to us by suppliers. Ignoring the branding and novelty exteriors you’d be excused for thinking all USBs are the same, but they’re not.

Choose an unencrypted USB drive and in the event it gets lost or stolen, any files/documents stored on the drive can be easily accessed, viewed, used, abused by anyone. Should sensitive data e.g. personal information pertaining to customers/patients, get into the wrong hands a data breach involving significant fines and long term reputational damage will ensue.

New regulations, new fines

The enforcement of the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) from May 2018 will see organisations (globally) being fined up to 4% of annual global turnover (or €20 million whichever is greater) in the event of a breach involving data pertaining to EU citizens.

But what about Brexit? Please don’t rely on the UK’s departure from the EU to keep your organisation safe from big data breach fines either. The UK Government has confirmed that the current 1988 Data Protection Act will be replaced by legislation that mirrors the new EU GDPR in due course.

SafeToGo® – the small data hero that can make a big difference in securing your business data on the move

Simply choose a hardware, encrypted USB drive, like SafeToGo®, to keep sensitive data secure whilst on the move and eliminate the risk of a data breach and all associated costs/fines. If a SafeToGo® USB is lost/stolen, data remains secure and the incident is deemed a security breach and not a data breach, and will not need reporting to the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office).

What is data encryption?

Encryption is the process of changing or transforming your files according to a set of rules and algorithms, into a format that others cannot read. Encrypting your data by using password or PIN access is an important step to safeguarding personal information and data.

Encryption comes in two guises – hardware and software. To ensure maximum protection for your data, hardware encryption is crucial. Why? Software encryption is simply software and like all software is easily hacked and prone to viruses. Hardware encryption offers many benefits over software, read on to find out more.

More about SafeToGo®

Using a robust, hardware encrypted USB drive, like SafeToGo®, to keep sensitive data secure whilst on the move offers the following benefits:

Superior security – hardware data encryption using a cryptographic core located independent of the PC and operating system.

Automatic shutdown and safe storage of data – in the event of unauthorised access attempts.

Brute force attack resistence.

Speed – encryption is real-time.

No software or drivers required.

Compatibility with PC, MAC and Linux operating systems.

Every hero needs a trusty-sidekick

Furthermore, SafeToGo is compatible with SafeConsole™, a secure USB management system which allows organisations to centrally manage all SafeToGo devices, no matter where they go.

You can administer hundreds, in fact thousands, of SafeToGo® drives via SafeConsole with ease, efficiency, visibility and control. Key benefits of the management tool being:

Raspberry Pi

Cardwave are delighted to be recognised by the Raspberry Pi Foundation for being a valued partner and supplier. We have enjoyed a close business relationship with the foundation since the massively successful launch of the Raspberry Pi in early 2012. Cardwave works with memory distributor, Xel Electronics, who supply Samsung SD cards to Premier Farnell and RS Components, two of the companies authorised by the charity to supply the Raspberry Pi. We are pleased to work with the foundation again on this superb SD card offering. Visit website